For more than five decades, NHRA National Dragster's famed Tricky Tipster has tested his prognosticating skills prior to each national event, putting odds on the top eight racers he thinks have the best shot at victory in Tricky Tipster. This week, Tricky Tipster handicaps the NHRA Northwest Nationals.

Steve Torrence • Capco Contractors
Six wins so far, and that might just be the tip of the iceberg. Can now focus on locking up the top seed in the Countdown and winning the Mello Yello title.ODDS: 3-1

Antron Brown • Matco Tools
Going to keep the heat on Torrence for the rest of the season. This is shaping up to be an epic multi-way battle for the title. Oh, and he looked great in his Top Gear America debut.ODDS: 4-1

Leah Pritchett • Papa John’s Pizza
Made a monster run in Sonoma that had the potential to be a new national record. She also wins plenty of rounds on Sunday.ODDS: 5-1

Brittany Force • Monster Energy
Last year at this time, she had 21 round-wins. This year, she’s also at 21. That is solid and consistent, but the potential is there to accomplish far more this season.ODDS: 6-1

Doug Kalitta • Mac Tools
Now that the Kalitta team has returned to the winner’s circle with J.R. Todd, no reason to think the floodgates won’t open and the rest of the team will get their fair share.ODDS: 8-1

Tony Schumacher • U.S. Army
What in the world is going on here? Since Atlanta runner-up, they’ve only been past the second round once. Going to predict an extensive test session after the Western Swing.ODDS: 10-1

Terry McMillen • Amalie Motor Oil
It’s looking more and more likely that he’ll finally make it into the top 10, but he’s got to keep the hammer down for the next few races.ODDS: 12-1

Shawn Langdon • Global Electronic Technology
The fight to make it into the Countdown to the Championship continues. This is a team on the rise, but they can hardly afford a first-round gaffe at this point.ODDS: 15-1

FUNNY CAR

Ron Capps • NAPA Dodge
Let’s face it, Sonoma was a disaster, but the quickest way to rebound from a first-round loss is to move on to the next one. Thankfully, the NAPA crew only has to wait one week.ODDS: 3-1

Robert Hight • Auto Club Chevy
Show of hands, how many of you ever thought you’d see anyone run 339 mph? It’s just one indicator of the potential this team has in the second half.ODDS: 4-1

Jack Beckman • Infinite Hero Dodge
His loss to J.R. Todd will go down as one of the most memorable of the year for all the wrong reasons. That being said, this is a car that can easily run the table, and they’ve done that here in the past.ODDS: 5-1

J.R. Todd • DHL Toyota
He said the DHL team turned the corner in Denver, and after an impressive Sonoma victory, perhaps it’s time to believe him. The entire Kalitta organization could benefit from his most recent triumph.ODDS: 6-1

Tommy Johnson Jr. • Make-A-Wish Dodge
Hasn’t lost in the first round since Topeka but he’s also winless since Las Vegas. Regardless, he’s consistent enough to expect a semifinal finish or better almost every time out.ODDS: 8-1

Tim Wilkerson • Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford
Deserves high marks for bringing a new car to Sonoma, assembling it in the pits, and reaching the final round. That’s the sort of thing that could help turn a season around.ODDS: 11-1

Matt Hagan • Express Lane Dodge
He’s been in a bit of a funk lately, but he’s still the No. 2 man in the Mello Yello standings. That’s life in Funny Car these days. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to turn up the wick a bit before the Countdown starts.ODDS: 13-1

Courtney Force • Advance Auto Parts Chevy
If these ranking was based solely on qualifying results, she’d be ranked much higher. A semifinal in Sonoma was a huge step in the right direction for one of the quickest cars in the class, though.ODDS: 16-1

PRO STOCK

Bo Butner • Butner Auto Camaro
He’s always had a great car, but has anyone else noticed how good his lights have been lately? If he continues to drive like this, the rest of the class will have a big problem in the Countdown.ODDS: 3-1

Drew Skillman • Skillman Auto Camaro
OK, so he’s not going to sweep the Swing, but he’s got a ton of confidence right now, and this is a very strong car. Even a couple of awkward burnouts couldn’t slow him in Sonoma.ODDS: 4-1

Tanner Gray • Gray Manufacturing Technology Camaro
Guess what? Kid Fantastic is back. Not that he ever left, but after a few tough races, the overwhelming rookie-of-the-year favorite now has three impressive wins on his résumé.ODDS: 5-1

Greg Anderson • Summit Camaro
We think we’ve seen this cat-and-mouse game before. The Summit team is off by a tick right now, but it’s almost time for them to gear up for another championship run. Expect a better effort shortly.ODDS: 7-1

Jason Line • Summit Camaro
He gets extra credit for all the verbal sparring with Tanner Gray. We can only hope they meet in a final round again soon. Oh, he’s also the reigning champ and a threat to win anywhere.ODDS: 9-1

Jeg Coughlin Jr. • JEGS.com Camaro
Want to know what’s more unlikely than an 18-year-old rookie winning three races? How about a five-time champ going winless in 15 races? This madness has to stop soon. He’s just too good to remain winless.ODDS: 11-1

Erica Enders • Melling Performance Camaro
In a word, Sonoma was ugly for the Elite flagship, but her last run of the weekend was actually quite respectable. Seattle offers a fresh start, and they’ll be glad to take it. Don’t look for them to qualify bottom half again this time.ODDS: 14-1

Chris McGaha • Harlow Sammons Camaro
Even after missing a few races, he’s probably going to make it into the top 10, but a couple of solid outings wouldn’t hurt. He also gets extra credit for being a former Seattle champion (2015).ODDS: 16-1